Yaks on the Mundu La, south east of Lhasa

Yaks on the Mundu La, south east of Lhasa

1998.131.187 (Print black & white)

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Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

September 20th 1936

Region

Lhasa Area > Mundu La

Accession number

1998.131.187

Image Dimensions

226 x 153 mm

Yaks carrying loads on the summit of the Mundu La, a pass south east of Lhasa. A group of pack animals can be seen walking along a narrow track with the summits of low mountains in the background. One man is walking slightly behind and the yaks have loads sewn up in textile bags. Mountainsides covered in low-lying shrubs are visible. The group has been framed in the bottom quarter of the image, with the mountain scenery and sky dominating the upper parts of the picture. Chapman apparently took this photograph whilst climbing in the hills around Lhasa on a day off from official duties on 20th September 1936

Further Information

Photographic Process

Print gelatin silver

Date Acquired

Donated 1994

Donated by

Faith Spencer Chapman

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Previous Catologue Number

CR.14 In publication
'Lhasa Mission 1936, Diary of Events', P. Neame, H. Richardson, F. S. Chapman, Government of India Political Department [Note: photographs for October 18th - November 4th 1936 are not included as their relationship to text is not detailed; see Mission Diary text for details of images] [see photos in publication]

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.187

Published

'Lhasa Mission 1936, Diary of Events', P. Neame, H. Richardson, F. S. Chapman, Government of India Political Department [Note: photographs for October 18th - November 4th 1936 are not included as their relationship to text is not detailed; see Mission Diary text for details of images] [view list of illustrations]

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - 'C.R.14' has been written on the back of the print in pencil. Also '8' written in pencil on the right hand side of back [MS 17/1/2005]

Contemporary Publication -


Contemporary Publication - This image was used to illustrate Sunday 20th September 1936 in the Mission Diary. The Diary entry suggests that the photograph was taken on a day off when Chapman was out hill-walking. Hugh Richardson wrote in the Diary for that day: "Today was a holiday. Mr Gould used it for clearing up arrears. The Doctor spent it in bed with a sore throat. Chapman, Nepean and Richardson climbed a hill to the South-East of the city. Chapman actually climbed several hills but one was enough for the other two". [MS 7/3/2005]

Manual Catalogues -


Manual Catalogues - Caption in Chapman's hand-written list of negatives made whilst on the Mission to Lhasa, 1936-7 [See PRM Manuscripts Collection]: 'Upright ditto [Yaks and driver coming over -- La [Mundu La]] summit of pass behind - v. good'; PRM Manuscripts Collection: ‘List of Tibetan Prints and Negatives’ - Book 4: ‘4/1 - Yaks loaded with Tsamba crossing 16,000ft pass near Lhasa’ [MS 12/03/2006]

Other Information - Related Images


Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'CR.' comprise a group of negatives containing images of Evan Nepean being carried from a boat, yaks at Mundu La, plants, Kusho Namdon La, Regent by microphone, Regent’s palace, large monk, Pargo Kaling, pagodas, Dr Morgan. The identifier ‘Mundu La’ has been written in at a later date, probably at the time of selection of images for the draft album as the name has been written in with the same blue crayon as that used to circle image numbers for the album. Spaces remain in the list where ‘Mundu’ has not been written down in the original cataloguing of the images. All of these images can be dated to late September [MS 12/03/2006]

Other Information - Travel: This man is unlikely to be a trader because traders usually travel with much larger caravans. Therefore, he is likely to be a villager travelling a relatively short distance. The firewood carried on the back of the yak in the front is likely to be taken so that the traveller will be able to light a fire if he is forced to make camp somewhere [TS 20/1/2005]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Yaks on the Mundu La, south east of Lhasa" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.187.html>.

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